Many industries transport, store, mix, process and/or discharge fluids from commercial bulk containers made of plastic or metal, commonly known in the trade as “tote containers”, “bulk containers”, or “intermediate bulk containers” (all herein referred to as “containers”). It is often desirable, and in some cases required, that the fluids stored in such containers be agitated, mixed or blended between the time they are loaded into the containers and the time they are discharged therefrom. To affect the desired mixing it was necessary to open the container and insert a mixing unit with impeller blades. There are, however, several complications with this approach.
Many current mixer designs are a single piece, combining the drive and shaft/impeller for placement on a container. Such combined units are heavy and awkward to install and may require lifting mechanisms or bridges to mount and deliver the mixer into and onto the tote. Such lifting mechanisms are at a permanent location for lifting, and a single person cannot install and remove the mixer.
What is needed is a highly portable mixer which can be installed and removed independent of a lift or additional bracketry and can easily deliver the power drive unit to the mixer without requiring a person to extend their arms to the aperture in the container.